MICROFLUOROSCOPY 



jection. The tooth crown is drilled via the 

 occlusal surface and the dentine penetrated 

 until several of the blood filled capillaries of 

 the subdentinal plexus can be seen and sev- 

 ered. Contrast medium is then aspirated 

 through the pulpal vessels via the root canal 

 vessels and the now ruptured capillary 

 plexus. 



After fixation and decalcification the 

 softened tissue of the tooth can be shaved 

 off so that the final preparation for x-ray 

 microscopy consists of the entire pulp with 

 supporting side w^alls of dentine. X-ray mi- 

 croscopy has provided the first complete 

 pictures of the vascular networks lying 

 within the dental papilla and about the den- 

 tal sac of the developing human tooth; these 

 have accordingly been named the intradental 

 (intrapapillary) and peridental (perifollicu- 

 lar) plexuses respectively. Projection x-ray 



Fig. 9. Micioangiograiu of human spinal cord 

 showing the peripheral system of blood vessels sur- 

 rounding the cord. Within the cord can be seen the 

 brush-like central arteries, branching to right and 

 left of the midline. Note the radicular vessels in 

 the nerve roots and the capillary bed within each 

 spinal nerve root ganglion. Foetus CR. 19 cms. X5 



microscopy provides both overall and detailed 

 pictures of the anatomy of the adult dental 

 pulp vessels with facility. Moreover an intact 

 specimen may be studied from different pro- 

 jections and viewed stereoscopically before 

 commencing sectional studies. The pulpal 

 vascular patterns of all the teeth of the adult 

 dentition have been so demonstrated includ- 

 ing the finest capillaries of the peripheral or 

 subdentinal plexus. 



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1. Goby, P., C. R. Acad. Set., 46, 686 (1913). 



2. Engstrom, a., Bellman, S., and Engfeldt, 



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6. Smith, D. S., In "X-ray Microscopy and Mi- 



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R. L. DE C. H. Saunders 



MICROFLUOROSCOPY. See CONTACT MICRO- 

 RADIOGRAPHY, p. 561. 



635 



